Drug-related deaths in Sweden – Estimations of trends, effects of changes in recording practices and studies of drug patterns

Original/alternative title:

Drug-related deaths in Sweden – Estimations of trends, effects of changes in recording practices and studies of drug patterns

Summary:

The report describes the situation of drug-related mortality in Sweden and constitutes a basis for the expert meeting in Stockholm in September 2016 as part of an EMCDDA project on drug- related deaths which focuses on seven European countries (project title: To contribute to the EMCDDA assessment of the drug-induced deaths data and contextual information in selected countries).

The main focus is on the statistics used to monitor drug-related deaths; if they have been subject to changes in recording practices and to what extent such changes may have affected the reported mortality rates over time, as well as the comparability with the data produced according to the EMCDDA European protocol. Suggestions for improvements are also presented.

The report also includes a description of gender and age differences in drug-related mortality, as well as of polydrug use patterns among the deceased. The matter of possible causes for the changes observed is not addressed in this report, but will be the main theme in a second forthcoming report.

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About the EMCDDA

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is the reference point on drugs and drug addiction information in Europe. Inaugurated in Lisbon in 1995, it is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies. Read more >>